


Penny For Your Thoughts

by drop_in_the_ocean



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Might add more tags later, Romance, Slow Build, indiesinger!Jennie, rockstar!Rosé
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22352788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drop_in_the_ocean/pseuds/drop_in_the_ocean
Summary: Rosé is a world-renowned rock star, while Jennie is just making a name for herself. Their paths cross in an unusual manner and perhaps in more ways than one.OR an alternate universe story of Chaennie falling slowly (but surely) in love.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Park Chaeyoung | Rosé, Kim Jisoo/Lalisa Manoban | Lisa
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	Penny For Your Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by [this](https://twitter.com/jihyofiIm/status/1218630829305364481) tweet. enjoy!

Kim Jennie was not the one to be late, ever. In fact, she would argue it was _her_ who constantly waited for others, a circumstantial occurrence that wasn’t too bothersome, because it would serve as a wild card in case she ever _was_ running late. Which she wasn’t. Ever.

This particular morning was unlike any other, though, and as much as she was ready to offer a plethora of excuses on the spot (one of them being her roommate forgetting to wake her up – as weak as it sounds), she had no one else to blame but herself and she was well aware the producers would not take any pity on her either. It perhaps wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if it wasn’t for the fact that this was Jennie’s first internship as an audio engineer on a live television show, and her friend being the one who recommended her certainly didn’t help ease the pressure. It all happened at short notice, too, which means not many details had been shared, but not having to think about who the guests on the show are going to be was a privilege in her mind, given the absolute chaos that was currently happening inside it.

“For _Christ’s_ sake. I can’t believe I lost my wallet.”

A tranquil voice made its way out of the girls’ bathroom. “You didn’t, it’s right next to your lap top.”

Sigh of relief. 

“Where are my–“

“The keys are on the kitchen table”, her roommate helpfully interrupted again. Jennie wondered if she would actually be able to function without her. She grabbed all of her things and was finally on her way to leave before taking a second to roll her eyes at the sight in front of her.

“Will we ever revisit the whole not-closing-the-door-while-taking-a-bath issue? Since it’s, you know, weird and unnecessary?” Jennie was half smiling while saying this, but it would still be an exaggeration to say she didn’t mind it at all. Some things are better left unseen and this was certainly one of the situations where that sentiment applied.

Her best friend let out a light chuckle. “You know I hate being in confined, intimate spaces.” 

“It’s the _bathroom_ , Jisoo, it’s supposed to be confined and intimate.” Jennie decided to take one last jab at her roommate before leaving. “Who takes baths this early in the morning, anyway?”

 _“It helps me relax”_ are the last four words she heard in the distance before closing the door to their apartment while simultaneously taking the phone out of her pocket to check the time.

7:23. 

With a little luck, the bus is going to appear at the stop the minute she gets there and in no time will she arrive at the studio, a tad sleepy but eager to start the day, ten minutes late _at most_. Skipping breakfast this morning was a necessity, of course, and Jennie didn’t stop to think it through for even a second while passing a number of freshly opened bakeries in the neighborhood, knowing very well she will regret it later as she had no idea how long the filming would last. Even so, she couldn’t suppress the excitement she felt about her first day at work; she thought she must look like a crazy person to anyone passing by, seeing the out-of-context grin on her face stretching from one side of her cheek all the way to the other. 

It wasn’t exactly a dream job, if she had to be honest. The reason she had chosen sound design as her major wasn’t to one day set the microphones on stage and pick the cables up after. Not to discredit the importance of the work audio technicians do; it just didn’t have the artistic feel to it that Jennie so desperately desired, but being out of work for even a day longer was not a luxury she could afford, so she put all the complaints to the side and made some room for zest. After all, this was just one in many steps that would lead to opening her own studio one day, where she could produce all of her songs and release her music on her own terms. 

For the time being, Jennie made peace with the fact that the only audience she had right now were random strangers in divey bars and coffee shops, perceiving her songs as mere background music to their busy lives, occasionally making the effort to give a clap or two when (or if) they notice a sudden omission of noise. 

A swift vibration in the back pocket of her jeans made her brush all these thoughts off in an instant. Already anticipating a “Don’t bother coming” text, she anxiously pulled her phone out and finally released the breath she was holding when she looked at the screen. 

**[Mum <3]**

**Good luck on your first day, honey [Christmas tree emoji]**

The ever so hot, mid-July morning she woke up on an hour ago was enough of an indicator for Jennie that her mother wanted to send a four-leaf clover instead; these things happened quite often. She smiled before starting to type out her response, when she suddenly noticed the time - it was already eight o’clock. The panic only rose once she realized the bus was nowhere to be seen and she was at least an hour away from where she was supposed to be (two hours if you count the inevitable Seoul traffic). 

Kim Jennie was not the one to be late. But when she was, it was usually at the most inconvenient of times.

\--- 

“Do we have a mic on her? Someone please put the mic on her already.” An oddly tall, dark-haired man, most likely in his forties was frantically running around the studio, waving and pointing at everyone and everything while somehow managing to yell, too, and no member of the crew was spared.

“Miss Park, I’m so sorry, it’s usually less chaotic in here.” A nervous chuckle followed and the man was now trying to – for whatever reason – shake Rosé’s hand.

“That’s alright. These things happen on live television.” She carefully pulled her hand back and directed a genuine smile towards the producer. She really didn’t think it was anyone’s fault; these things _do_ happen often in her world, and while some would argue it’s due to the incompetence or something closely related, Rosé knew how hard it was for everyone on the set in this kind of scenario, largely due to the fact that she had many friends who worked in the industry, so she always tried to keep that side of the coin in her mind.

“Well, still, my apologies. We’ll be ready for you in a few moments.” The man was looking around the studio the entire time, clearly anticipating someone’s arrival but quickly snapped back into the conversation when he heard the young girl clearing her throat. “So you’ll do two songs, correct?”

Rosé nodded and pointed at her instrument. “One of them is going to be completely acoustic, so I’ll need the mic for the guitar, too.”

“Of course, we’re on it. Let’s get you ready for the interview now”, he said while making an inviting hand gesture to a younger (and significantly shorter) man standing behind one of the cameras. “Yoo-joon, where’s the new intern?”

“No idea, Mr. Lee, she was supposed to be here an hour ago.” The younger man didn’t show too much interest in this conversation and he didn’t seem to care enough to pretend. The producer was now fuming but it was clear that he was trying to keep his composure in front of the guest star, so he forced a smile and spoke through the teeth:”Get her here. I don’t care how, just do it.” One quick bow to Rosé and Mr. Lee left, mumbling words under his breath that resembled “Serves me right” and “Never again”. Yoo-joon simply shrugged his shoulders and went back to his previous position, leaving Rosé wondering if he’s actually going to do anything about the intern.

Being a world-wide recognized rock star meant that there were very few moments in life where Roseanne Park was left alone. Constantly surrounded by managers, producers, other artists, paparazzi and, of course, fans, was a reality she had accepted at a very young age, and she eagerly embraced it, too. It wasn’t easy coming to this point, growing up within the industry, leaving the carefree lunchbox days behind, becoming _Rosé._ Sacrifices had to be made and they had to be made fast; there was no time to think or feel the fleeting levels of hardship that led her to where she was today. Her success was a result of more than a decade of constant training, isolation, sometimes rejection, diligence and resilience. The frequent moving from one place to another, leaving country after country behind would be too much for anyone, let alone a preadolescent child, but Roseanne persevered. Her parents always told her she’s the strongest person they know, but in moments like these, she would beg to differ.

There never was anything in particular that reminded her of how lonely she really felt. The situations were rather arbitrary and happened at most random of times, overwhelming her entire being to the point where she would simply freeze and dissociate. It had little to do with rational thinking and everything to do with deeply integrated fears she hadn’t been able to shake off just yet, try as she may. She was also very aware of this fact, but in most scenarios, that didn’t help at all. This was one of those scenarios.

She looked around and suddenly realized there were way too many smiling faces surrounding her, speaking to her, praising her. Kindly responding to everyone in the studio, shaking their hands and taking a few photos en route, Rosé apologized and swiftly made her way to the back exit.

Fresh air hit her face in an instant and she finally felt like she could breathe. She barely managed to lift her head and exhale when she felt a shoulder bumping into hers, making her lose her balance for a short second. 

“I’m _so_ sorry”, the young girl said sincerely but without a glance, clearly in a rush, much like everyone else on the set. Rosé didn’t even think about it and instead focused on taking a breather before going inside the studio again.

It’s okay, she thought. These things happen often on live television.

\---

This was it. Her first and final day at work. There was absolutely nothing that could fix the situation she was in right now, and she had made peace with it. She was still unsure of who she should speak to, as she couldn’t find anyone who wasn’t busy working or running around. Standing frightened and alone in the middle of a giant studio had to catch _someone’s_ attention, though, and she suddenly noticed a short, young man walking up to her.

“Are you Jennie?”

“I- Yes, I am. I’m _so_ sorry, I know there’s no excuse for how late I am but I just-“

Yoo-joon cut her off with a monotone voce. “Oh, I don’t really care, I’m just a camera guy. But you should definitely talk to Mr. Lee over there, he’s been looking for you.”

Jennie gulped and walked over to the producer who was already busy yelling at someone until he finally noticed her. A sharp intake of breath and she spoke up. “Mr. Lee, hi, I- I’m Jennie, the new intern. I just wanna say how _deeply_ sorry I am for-“

“You’re fired.”

There were very few elements of surprise in his sentence, as she had been preparing to hear those words on her entire way to the studio. Still, they were sharper than a knife and her eyes became watery in an instant. She tried to speak up again but a lump in her throat wouldn’t let her, so she bit her trembling lip in a desperate attempt to stop herself from reaching a breakdown, but it was too late. Once the first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. Mr. Lee seemed to be affected by this for only a moment before he rolled his eyes and started walking away.

Jennie quickly tried to get a hold of herself. “P-please, this is important to me, I- I promise it won’t happen again.”

“ _Again_? You really think I’d let this happen again? Do you have any idea how tight our schedule is?” His tone was getting angrier by the second and talking started turning into yelling. “You’re almost _two_ hours late and you expect me to give you a free pass? You really have some nerve.” He glanced at Jennie one last time before turning away. “Tell your friend I won’t be taking any recommendations from him anymore.”

“Actually”, a soft voice broke the terrifying silence that followed Mr. Lee’s speech, “she’s late because of me.”

A few gasps followed as everyone directed their attention to… Rosé? Roseanne Park? Park Chaeyoung? _That_ Rosé? Jennie thought she must be imagining things.

“This young lady actually works in a recording studio I was at the other day, where I left a mic that I always use for live shows. So I asked her to bring it to me.” Mr. Lee was now staring at Rosé in shock, lips slightly parted. “She made a detour because of _me_ , and I’m terribly sorry for that. It’s all my fault - she was just trying to do her job.”

Dead silence filled the room. It was hard to tell who was left speechless the most, but Jennie would argue it was definitely her. Not only is her favorite artist the actual guest star on the show, but she’s right there, standing in front of her and… Lying for her? Jennie’s head started lightly spinning.

“I… I’m not sure what to say.” Mr. Lee was carefully choosing his words it seemed, and no one dared to interrupt the process. He finally continued after taking a moment to recollect himself. “I guess I can understand that. Thank you for clarifying, miss Park, and again, sorry for all the mess today.” He then turned to Jennie whose eyes were still glued to the blonde girl standing next to her, so confidently calm and peaceful; the girl who fills up the biggest arenas around the world, the girl she looked up to for years both as an artist and a person is standing next to her– nay, standing _up_ for her. And with no personal gain whatsoever.

“Put the mic on her and let’s start the goddamn show already.”

Jennie’s eyes widened. “D- does that mean I get to-“

“Yes. Now start doing your job.” He turned to the entire crew and started waving his arms again. “Come on, people, we have a show to do.” The unusual stillness in the room was now replaced with frantic movements, everyone running around to their places, as if they had just been woken up from a seven-month long hibernation. Everyone but the two girls.

“I don’t even know how to thank you. That was- You’re-“ Jennie kept stuttering, half confounded by everything that just happened, half star-struck. Rosé swiftly winked at her when she heard her name being called. “Don’t even mention it.” She made her way to the set and left the younger girl in complete awe, a rather seldom occurrence that every single one of Jennie’s friends could testify to. She finally snapped back into reality and went to her designated place, looking for the right equipment.

Perhaps her first day at work will not go as bad as she thought it would.

**Author's Note:**

> second chapter is already in the making, so you can expect an update soon! kudos are always appreciated, and if you have suggestions or any sort of feedback, don't be afraid to leave it in the comments :) thanks for reading!


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